1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to portable devices used for housing individuals, objects or food. More particularly, to sheltering individuals from the environment, protecting objects from weather conditions or preventing insects and other contaminants from accessing or entering food prior to being consumed.
2. Description of Related Art
A number of devices are available commercially for these purposes. Devices for sheltering individuals from the environment include such enclosures as tents. While there are a wide variety of different types of tents that have been patented, the tents disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,794,054, 3,874,397, 4,202,363 and 7,185,666 are most relevant. In each of these tent structures the force generated by the second or lower hub in the upward direction from the support struts connected to the second hub and pole members requires locking interaction with the first hub connected to the pole members. This force and the complimentary interface between both hubs locks the tent into position. An additional locking mechanism may be provided such as that described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,874,397. Guiding rods may be utilized to assure that the hubs properly interface such as those described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,794,9054 and 4,202,363 and geometric interfaces on the two hubs may be provided to assure proper interface orientation such as that described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,185,666. Similar structures may also be constructed for protecting objects such as cars, blinds for hunting, or equipment from weather conditions that might damage these items. In one particularly relevant patent, U.S. Pat. No. 5,628,338 a five-hub framework is required to maintain each of the four walls and ceiling of a collapsible blind structure. One end of four leg members is rotatably attached to each hub with the other ends inserted into pockets formed in the corners of the cover. The hubs permit 90° rotation of all of the leg members in a one directional plane for collapsing the structure. In the open position the leg members exert force against the hub at 90° rotation bowing the leg members and locking the enclosure in the open configuration.
Smaller enclosures of the same construction may be utilized to protect food that has been placed on a table either inside or out during events such as parties, special events, picnics, fairs, carnivals, etc. A number of such devices are available commercially. The most common is called a food tent (available though www.improvementscatalog.com and www.cooking.com) and is a netted dome having a handle positioned at the top and about the center of the dome to allow the user to easily lift the dome to access the food protected within. Unfortunately, because these devices do not have a base, insects can easily access the food by crawling under the edge of the dome or through the openings between the wooden slats of the picnic table. In addition in the event that there is a breeze the dome can be easily lifted and blown off the table.
Although portable tents and smaller collapsible structures have been disclosed in a number of different constructions, no one prior design is believed to be optimal and there remains a need in the art for enclosures that are optimized for their particular use, may be more easily erected or collapsed, provide similar structural integrity with fewer parts to be assembled, less expensive and/or more portable than those in the prior art.